Is a new supercar about to enter the ring?
Is a new supercar about to enter the ring? It sure looks that way after the automaker rolled out a fully finished pickup concept at the New York International Auto Show in March. The four-door Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak (based on the Atlas utility-vehicle platform) was shown alongside the stylish five-passenger Atlas Cross Sport concept, which is a virtual lock for the 2019 model year. With the apparent resurgence of midsize pickup trucks in North America, the Tanoak makes sense, even if it’s just a concept at this point. Along with the current seven-passenger Atlas, adding the Cross Sport and Tanoak to the lineup would indicate that VW is forming a sub-brand of Atlas nameplates.
Genesis, what a concept: According to The Sleuth’s trusty sources, the rumored arrival of the Jeep Wrangler pickup is a virtual lock for the 2019 model year. The expected name Scrambler (the same name that was attached to the previous CJ-7-based pickup from the early- to mid-1980s) will be based on the four-door Wrangler JK, which makes it a crew-cab model of sorts. Even so, the (approximately) five-foot-long box should be large enough to tote a pair of dirt bikes and possibly an all-terrain vehicle without too much trouble. The Jeep’s 285-horsepower V-6 will supply the grunt, but what isn’t yet known is whether the Scrambler will be available with a folding soft top, or if it will be strictly a steel-roof model.
Get ready to be scrambled: The Sleuth got a good look at a special 2019 GMC Sierra pickup that launches this fall. It’s intended to sway truckers that might otherwise head off-trail in a Ford F-150 Raptor. The Sierra AT4 Crew Cab’s sheetmetal is done up in black paint and with black chrome bumpers. Fourwheel-drive is of course standard, as is a lifted-by-five-centimetres ride height, protective skid plates, locking rear differential and 18- or optional 20-inch wheels wrapped in off-road rubber. A 5.3-litre V-8 is standard, but a beefier 6.0-litre V-8 or the torquey 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel can also be selected at extra cost. GMC will eventually introduce other AT4 trim packages for other its product line, such as the midsize Canyon pickup Yukon utility vehicle.
Is a single-grade of gasoline in our future? With both refiners and automakers on board, The Sleuth believes it likely that the three most common unleaded fuel grades, 87 octane (regular), 89 (mid-grade) and 93 (premium) could soon be history. In their place would be just one grade of gasoline (the current proposal would peg it at 95 octane). For the refiner, moving to a single grade will simplify the manufacturing and distribution process, while the claimed benefits for the consumer would be cleaner-running engines along with improved fuel efficiency for only slightly higher cost. The Spy Guy expects that the end users will have plenty to say about this proposal before single-grade gas is adopted.
Go drag racing with a Mustang: As an answer to Chevrolet’s COPO Camaro dragster, an updated National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)-legal model that Ford Mustang Cobra Jet will be introduced this summer. Under the hood is a supercharged version of the same 526-horsepower 5.2-litre V-8 that sees service in the street-able Mustang Shelby GT350. Although the actual Cobra Jet horsepower number remains elusive, Ford claims that the car’s quarter-mile time in the low-eight-second range will easily beat the Dodge Demon’s 9.6 seconds (the COPO Camaro’s numbers depend on engine selection). Expect to shell out about $100,000 to get your hands on one of 68 planned Cobra Jets to be built this year.